L'AQUILA, Italy -- Rescuers searching for earthquake victims in L'Aquila, Italy, were somewhat cheerier Wednesday because of the discovery a survivor, officials said.

Searchers resumed efforts Wednesday heartened by the discovery the preceding evening of 21-year-old Eleonora Calesini of Rimini, who was found alive after 42 hours of being trapped in the rubble of a building, protected by two pillars of reinforced cement, The Times of London reported.

The woman asked rescuers, "Where are mamma and papa?" The workers, however, had to tell Calesini her parents' whereabouts were unknown, the newspaper said. She also reportedly asked for her best friend who is feared dead.

Local reports indicated that at least 250 bodies of earthquake victims were being kept in a makeshift mortuary at a nearby school.

Powerful aftershocks shook the area northeast of Rome Tuesday, one day after the quake, The Times said. The newspaper reported that many of the victims were university students, including a young woman whose body was found by her stepfather helping rescue efforts.